on.

"Holy Smoke!" Frank cried presently, drawing himself away from the
bunch. "What do you think of it? Look who's here! Three Black Bears,
Harry Stevens, Glen Howard and Jack Bosworth. How did you get here,
boys, and did you bring anything to eat with you?"

The three Black Bears were introduced to the other members of the
party, then tongues ran swiftly, and they all talked at the same time.
Occasionally Nestor stepped to the shelf, just around the angle of the
cliff, and looked down on the outlaws, making their way to the plain
below. When Harry Stevens asked about Fremont, the boys pointed at the
distant party and told the story of his capture.

"We'll have him back before night," Stevens declared. "There are seven
of us now, and that's enough to put up a lively fight."

"But how did you happen to light on this mountain?" asked Frank, still
staring with the wonder of the meeting.

"It was as easy as following a white elephant," laughed Stevens. "The
El Paso papers told all about Fremont being there, and about his
escaping to Mexico. We were there the morning after you left. We took
train for San Jose, and found where you had purchased provisions. Then
there was the boatman who took you across the lake, or lagoon, and the
guards coming down the slope with three prisoners. Oh, it was easy as
falling asleep until we left your little camp. In an hour, however, we
came upon the trails left by Jimmie and by Shaw, and came on. For the
past two hours we have been higher up than you, so we did not see each
other."

"You're a nice lot of fellows to go sleuthing," laughed Jack Bosworth.
"Why, it was no trick at all to follow you. If the police are as
prompt and industrious as we were, they're out here in the hills
somewhere right now, after Fremont."

"Another matter kept us in the vicinity of this alleged civilization,"
replied Nestor, referring to the necessity of capturing Don Miguel,
"but now that is over, and we're going to burrow like rabbits in the
mountains, after we get hold of Fremont, until the truth is known."

"Well," said Stevens, "there's a good place to hide back here-a cave,
with no one knows how many rooms. It was a fine residence some day.
Come on. We found it while looking for a place to rest."

"And you said there were no subterraneous temples in Chihuahua," said
Shaw, addressing himself to Fenton. "You said they were all in the
neck of Central America."

"You wait a second, and